Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

REDLANDS, Calif. – Damon Perry scored a game-high 26 points and the Poets shot 50 percent from the field as the men's basketball team took third place at the 63rd Annual Lee Fulmer Memorial Tournament with a 70-65 win over UC Santa Cruz on Saturday night.

Whittier (4-2) finished 2-1 over the three day tournament with wins over West Coast Baptist and the Banana Slugs.

Perry added five rebounds and a pair of assists in the win.

Greg Preer scored 15 points and Willie Mebane added 14 as the starting five accounted for 65 of the team's points.

Nathan Easterman scored nine points while Brandon Thomas was limited to one.

UC Santa Cruz (4-6) got as close as one point on two occasions in the final 3:30 of the game but the Poets held on for the win.

Perry scored back-to-back buckets after UCSC made the score 62-61 with 3:27 left and Mebane extended the Whittier lead to 68-65 with a pair of makes from the charity stripe with under 30 seconds remaining.

Whittier controlled the inside to the tune of a 42-26 advantage and 38-32 on the glass while scoring 29 points off turnovers.

The Poets and Banana Slugs will meet again on Saturday, December 11, at the Whitworth Classic. Tip is set for 6 pm.